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December 23, 2020
2020 Y ear in r eview
C ontinued from f ront
Housing and a Backup Plan
Putting Kids and Families First
Jan. 8 – Kymberly Horner, the new executive director of Portland Community Rein-
vestment Initiatives (PCRI), a nonprofit rooted in the African American community,
picks up the mantle to a mission to see 1,000 new living units built in the next 10 years
to alleviate the housing crisis.
Jan. 22 -- Bahia Overton, the new leader for Portland’s Black Parent Initiative, puts her
focus on improving culturally specific solutions to the needs in the Black community
and growing support for BPI programs to help Black kids and Black families become
successful.
Concordia Shuts Down
Kobe’s Death Stuns World
Jan. 29 – Thousands of fans gathered outside the Staples Cen-
ter in Los Angeles in an outpouring of grief and shock over the
sudden loss of Kobe Bryant, the all-time basketball great who
spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also claimed his 13-year-
old daughter Gianna and seven other people.
Feb. 12 -- Goodness Adfope told the Portland
Observer he was still in shock upon learning his
school, Concordia University, a northeast Port-
land landmark of 115 years was going to close.
The Lutheran-Church-Missouri Synod backed
college, cited enrolment declines and poor fi-
nances for the decision to close without any prior
warnings or notice.
Wrongful Arrest
Feb. 19 -- Michael Fesser, 48, of Portland, wins a $600,000
civil suit against the city of West Linn for a wrongful arrest
in a racially-motivated harassment case from 2017 involving
West Linn Police, the Portland Police Bureau’s gang enforce-
ment team and his former employer A&B Towing.
Guilty on All Counts
Feb. 26 – A Multnomah County jury unan-
imously finds Jeremy Christian, 37, guilty
of killing two passengers and critically
wounding a third when he went on a racist
tirade spewing hate against two young
Black women and others on a Max train in
2017. The trial took four weeks and includ-
ed chilling graphic video of the attack and
gripping testimony from survivors.
Coronavirus Threat Emerges
Trying to Slow an Epidemic
March 18 – As Portland and Vancouver recorded their first deaths
attributed to the worldwide coronavirus epidemic, Gov. Kate Brown
issued an order to close all schools, limit crowds to 25 people or less
and shut down restaurants and bars to take-out service only.
March 4 -- Portland area grocery stores saw toilet paper
and cleaning supplies sell out as people become more aware
of the threat of the coronavirus. Shopping at the Walgreens
on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., resident Levlie
Okammor told the Portland Observer she was worried that
some people weren’t taking the outbreak seriously enough.